


"I'll Be Here."

by Summerwolf



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Caring Friday, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter doesn't want to be a burden, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Tony Stark, Sleep Deprivation, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Survived, Worried Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26576692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Summerwolf/pseuds/Summerwolf
Summary: Tony survived Endgame, losing his arm but managing to keep his life... Now if only Peter's subconscious would just remember that. Peter does what he can to avoid having to sleep, but he can't go on like this forever.
Relationships: Friday & Peter Parker, Friday & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 12
Kudos: 95





	"I'll Be Here."

**Author's Note:**

> Wow... to everyone's shock (including my own) I am back!! I have a couple of fics already written out... and after not writing for this fandom for at least half a year, I'm going to do whumptober!! But until then, I wanted to post this thing which I wrote.  
> Hope you enjoy!!

Peter stared up at the barely visible ceiling, hoping that maybe this time when he turned his head and squinted through the dark at the clock on his bedside table, it would say that it was a reasonable hour to get up. It felt like it should be, it felt like he'd been lying in bed, desperately trying not to fall asleep, for the past forever.

02:09

Two in the morning. He'd started pretending to sleep two hours ago, the latest FRIDAY would let him stay up before she told Tony. He couldn't sleep, but for as long as he was 'trying' then he wouldn't end up with Tony going after him and trying to lecture him about growing brains or something.

Maybe he could grab his phone? Try and pass the time for a couple of hours until he could start getting up?

No.

FRIDAY didn't sleep, the second she registered that Peter had turned his phone on, she would be there asking what was going on, asking why he wasn't sleeping.

Maybe he could just rest his eyes… he was tired… everything ached. Sleeping would make at least some of it better, he was so tired that he probably wouldn't even dream.

He could just…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Peter shot up in bed, drawing in massive gasps of air while he tried to calm himself down. It was okay, it wasn't real, it was just a nightmare, nothing more.

He shivered, his own drying sweat cooling quickly in the open air of the room and leaving him feeling sticky and chilled. He should have known better, known that the rest wasn't worth it, that the few hours of sleep he probably got was not worth having to see that all over again.

"Peter, your heart rate is elevated, as is your temperature, and you seem to be in distress," FRIDAY's robotic voice echoed around the room, "do you need me to call Tony in for you?"

He should say no. Tony needed sleep too, and Peter didn't want to burden him with his stupid problems. It wasn't Tony's fault that Peter was too much of a wimp to even manage one night's sleep without waking up screaming.

Even if he knew seeing Tony, knowing he was alive and there and well and real would calm him down and remove any fear that the nightmare was real.

"Tony is on his way," FRIDAY announced, starting Peter enough for him to physically jump. It took him a moment to register what she had said, but once he did he felt red hot rage bubble up.

"I didn't tell you to get Tony! I was going to ask you not to!" he shouted at the ceiling.

"You didn't answer me," FRIDAY was as unshakable as ever, "according to my programming if someone doesn't answer my question quickly enough I should make my own choice. I decided that you would be best with Tony here."

Almost as quickly as it had appeared, his anger drained away, leaving emptiness and fatigue in its wake.

"Okay FRIDAY, sorry for shouting at you."

"You're forgiven Peter, Tony will be at your room shortly."

Just as FRIDAY had said, Tony arrived at his room three minutes later, knocking lightly on his door before he walked in. Tony had clearly been asleep before FRIDAY woke him up, his eyes half lidded and his hair a mess.

"Hey Kid," Tony said, his voice gentle as he walked into the room ab or on the edge of Peter's bed. "FRIDAY said that you didn't seem to be doing great."

"She said that to you?" Peter asked sceptically.

"I summarised. Now come on kid, what happened?"

Peter thought about lying, just saying it was a basic 'being chased' nightmare and carrying on with his life… it was just…

He couldn't continue like this. He was barely sleeping, waking up in terror every time he managed to drift off. His grades were suffering, his family was getting worried.

It wasn't worth it.

"I had a nightmare," Peter started slowly, picking at his blanket. He breathed deeply, trying to gather the strength to continue. "about you."

"From when I did this?" Toby asked, waving his mechanical arm. Welding the infinity stones had lost Tony his arm, and very nearly lost him his life.

Peter nodded silently, a small shiver passing through him just thinking about the dream - nightmare - which had been dancing through his head for months.

"Peter, look at me. I'm okay. I'm fine I promise." Tony scooted backwards until he was sitting against the wall, right next to Peter. He pulled Peter into his arms, running his fingers through his hair. "How often have you been having nightmares?"

"That one specifically? Since it happened." Peter's voice was weak, barely there, but he knew that Tony heard him.

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Tony gasped, his eyes filled with too many emotions for Peter to translate.

"I didn't want to be a burden," Peter shrugged, "I'm Spiderman, I should be able to look after myself, to let you guys rest, not be destroyed by a stupid nightmare!"

"Peter, you're a child. You are a teenager who has been through a traumatic event. You are allowed to need help."

Peter felt a sob escape him as he melted into Tony's arms, finally allowing the tension which had filled him for months to drain away.

"I- we were so close to losing you," he sobbed, "and you're here now, you're okay but what if something else had happened? What then?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Because I survived, I'm here." Tony shifted them around until Peter was lying down, Tony still sat on the covers next to him. "Go on, get some sleep. I'll be here to chase away any nightmares."

Peter allowed his eyes to slip shut, happy to let someone else be the responsible one for once. Tony was right. He was a teenager, and even if he started questioning everything tomorrow morning, for tonight he would accept the help he was given, and just sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos give me life!!!  
> Thank you so much for reading!!!  
> Have an amazing day/night!!!


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